390 
DON COSSACKS. 
CHAP. 
XIII. 
' ' 
Houses 
moved en- 
tire. 
They speak of moving a house in this part of 
the world as a very trifling undertaking. When 
Sir Charles Gascoigne went from Petersburg, to 
preside over the foundry at Lugan, he paid a 
visit to a gentleman about twenty-seven miles 
distant from the establishment. Finding him 
excellently lodged, in a well-furnished, hand- 
some, and very convenient house, “ I wish,” 
said he, “ I could have such a building erected 
for me at Lugan." His host replied, “ If you 
admire my house, it is at your service, exactly 
as you see it ; and I engage to place it for you 
at Lugan in the course of the week.” A bargain 
was concluded between them; the house was 
moved; and Sir Charles, who informed us of 
the fact, resided in it when we were in that 
country. 
The inhabitants of Tcherkash complain much 
of want of room. Not a single house has a 
court-yard ; the inhabitants are all huddled to- 
gether, as if they had dropped from the clouds 
during a shower into the river, and only waited 
the retiring of the waters to make their escape. 
They are much troubled with mosquitoes, which 
abound in all the neighbourhood of the Don'. 
(1) Edward Brown, who published, in the seventeenth century, 
“ A Discourse upon the Cossacks," mentions the swarms of flies and 
locusts infesting their country ; which is the only faithful account of 
their history contained in his work. Seep. 22. Bond. 1672. 
